Numerous people seek to modify the appearance of the outlines of their eyes, in particular to beautify their look, e.g. in application of recognized or personal esthetic criteria, in order to change the appearance of their look or indeed to correct one or more imperfections, in particular asymmetry between their eyes, e.g. one eye being more closed than the other.
Other people may seek to restore the appearance of the outlines of their eyes to what it used to be when they were younger. One particular consequence of aging can be drooping of the stationary upper eyelid, sometimes to such an extent as to partially overlie the movable upper eyelid when the eye is open. This phenomenon is often associated by observers with the person aging and is generally perceived as being undesirable.
Finally, certain people may also desire to modify the shapes of the outlines of their eyes because of their dimensions, e.g. one eye being too closed or too open, too large or too small, or having an undesirable bulging appearance.
It is known to apply makeup compositions to the outline of the eye, in particular to emphasize all or part of the outline of the eyes in color. Nevertheless, making up the eyes presents several drawbacks. It often serves to emphasize the eyes but does not affect the shape of the outlines of the eyes. It is particularly difficult to restore asymmetries and practically impossible to look younger. Furthermore, the shading created by applying makeup is not desired by many people, in particular men, children, old people, and certain women. Applying makeup also requires a certain amount of skill in order to apply it effectively. In addition, it is often necessary to comply with certain precautions in order to maintain a makeup result over time, in particular by avoiding any rubbing or washing, and makeup generally lasts only for a few hours, or at most one or two days, so it needs to be repeated regularly.
It is possible to modify a person's look by using plastic surgery. Nevertheless, most people would prefer not to have recourse to plastic surgery, since that solution is often perceived as being too radical and is sometimes painful. Furthermore, plastic surgery does not achieve a more youthful look, and is appropriate above all for major corrective purposes, being unsuitable for minor corrective purposes or merely for satisfying the desire to change the look of the eyes.
It is known to apply elongate flat strips to the movable upper eyelid in order to form an artificial fold in the eyelid. Such strips are used in particular by people of Asiatic origin in whom the movable upper eyelid presents a palpebral fold that is less marked than for the eyes of people of Caucasian or African origin, for the purpose of making the appearance of an Asiatic eye come closer to that of a Caucasian or African eye. Nevertheless, that phenomenon hardly exists in Caucasian or African eyes, and as a result that solution has no effect on eyes of those types.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,307 describes applying a liquid adhesive composition to stick together the movable upper eyelid and the stationary upper eyelid. Adhesive presents the drawback of being uncomfortable and dangerous for the user, and it does not enable the look to be modified or corrected in accurate and appropriate manner for all users.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,346 and international application WO 01/34078 describe applying a flat adhesive strip on the movable upper eyelid in order to correct drooping of the stationary upper eyelid. That solution does not enable the outline of the eye to be modified in a manner that is as effective and as comfortable as would be desirable, since the strip is not adapted to the topology of the eyelid onto which it is applied.